SUMMER SERIES TV

Some of the best television programming airs during the summer, including two of my favorite shows. I am very excited about the third season of Deadwood, which begins next weekend on HBO, although I am among the legions of outraged fans disappointed by the cancellation of this stellar series.Deadwood is a beautifully crafted Western with Shakespearean language and cadence. The entire cast is awe-inspiring, and there has not been a contemporary television villain in recent memory as visually menacing as Al Swearengen, played brilliantly by Ian McShane. And then there is Rescue Me, an intense and engrossing drama with just the right dose of comic relief, co-created by and staring the underrated Denis Leary. Thank goodness this show airs on cable channel FX, because without the realistic raw language and sexuality, Rescue Me would not pack as much of an emotional punch.

As for guilty pleasure summer viewing, I am always entertained by the boys of Entourage and have transitioned from casual to dedicated fan of Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List. Although I tend to have strong opinions about certain stars (which I occasionally share in this blog), I aim to avoid the outright slander of famous people. That is why I enjoy watching Griffin toy with and agitate the very celebrities I read about and only quietly pass judgment on in my own head.